Railway-rail stay.



No. 816,265. PATBNTED MAR.'2'7, 1906.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13,1905.

@mm l 4o means of a bolt c, passing across the under vinfirme STATESPATENT oir-Fien.

HIRAM H. SPONENBURG, or vADs'woR'rH, ILLINols, Asslenon oF ONE- HALF ToEDWARD LAAS, or o'rrUMwA, IowA.

' RAILWAY-RAIL STAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

' Applicationmedrovemberia,1905. serian. 287.045.

-nal creeping of the rail; and the invention has, more particularly,reference to the speciesof rail-stay in which the member which draws thejaws into position to grip the rail is formed with a hook, serving thefunction of one of said jaws, as shown in my Patent No. 779,104, datedJanuary 3, 1905. 1

The object of my present invention-is to reduce the cost of manufactureof the rail- .stay and at the same time increase the elli- ,y ciency andreliability of its operation; and ,to that end the invention consists inthe improved construction and combination of the component parts o'l therail-stay, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of arailway-rail with my im rovedrail-stay applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a p anview of the same, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line X X in Fig.2,A and Fi .4 is a longitudinal section on the linev Y Y inig. 2. viewedin the direction of the arrow.

In the said drawings, A represents therail- Way-rail, and B theunderlying cross-tie which supports the rail on the road-bed. f

'a and a denote the two jaws, which are' shaped to grip 'the flanges l)b of the rail and may be forced into their gripping position by -sideofthe rail and connected to the said jaws and provided with a nut d,applied to the screw-threaded end of the bolt and bearing on the outerside of the jaw (L to tighten the gri of the jaws. The opposite end ofthe o t c is bent upward and toward the main orv xtral portion. of thebolt in the form of a k c,which in my prior invention hereinflange ofthe rail and serve the function ofthe arate jaw a. of my presentinvention,

ch jaw is composed of east metal, and r; be-seatedwlthin thishookA thusinexpensive to manufacture and capable of obtaining a secure hold on theflange b of the rail. The bolt c may be of lany suiti able shape in.cross-section; but in order to reduce the cost ol" its man ufaeture Iprefer to form it of a round or cylindrica rod of wrought-iron or steel.

One end of said rod is screw-threaded for the purpose hereinafterexplained,'and the opposite end of said rod is bent up in the shape ofthe hook c', which embraces the back and top oi the jaw a and receives asecure hold thereon by means of llanges e e at o posite sides of agroove e', in which the hoo c rests. Said llanges at the same time serveto reinforce the-jaw to more safely resist strain due to its grip on therail.

The jaw a is provided with a transverse aperture. j, which receivesthrough it vthe screw-threaded end of the bolt: c. An inwardly-extendingbearing g, formed on .the jaw (1. and engaging the under side of thebolt c and braced by the tieabutting flange h, serves to strengthen thesaid jaw. To the protruding threaded end of the bolt c is ap-l plied anut d, which bears on the back of the jaw a., and by turning the saidnut so as to press very tigl1tly`on said jaw the bolt is caused to forceboth jaws into position to firmly grip the rail.

I preferably lorm the jaw a with -two tiealnltting-llu-nges i and l1 :ltopposite sides of the jaw to allow said jaw to be placed on 'either sideof the rnil,.und thus obviate the vexpense of making right and leftpatterns for casting the jaw'. ',lo cause the jaws to obtain firm andsecure holds on the rail, I secure to the interior of each jaw asteel orother 9o very hard metal gripping-plate fi, preferably seated rmly in arecess in the overhanging lip of the jaw. Said p ate is formed withsharp ribsV Z,`which bite'the rail, as shown i-n Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Where the jaw on one ilange of the rail is provided merely by-formingthe bolt c into a ook, as shown in the prior art, especially if 'the'hooked it is diicu t to secure a sufficiently tig-ht grip upon thatflange of the railwhich is engaged by such hook; but by -means of mypresent-invention' I rtain all of the simplicity and cheaplness ofstructure inherent in usin a simple ook on one end of the bolt c, an byproviding a tooth-carrying j aw adaptedto` -sired grip on. the rail,which ortion of the bolt is cylindrical,

attain vthe denot only pre- 3o the device to the vents any longitudinalmovement of the rail, but prevents any twisting of lthe rail-anchor withrelation. to the flange.

The jaw e, as stated, isV preferably provided with teeth, which may ormay not be formed directly on the jaw itself or on a hardened insertcarried by the jaw, and such teeth are preferably 1n the forni ofsharpedged ribs extending transversely of the raili'o flange rather thaninto its edge. By using this construction I provide a number of teetheach of which needs to but slightly bite into the top of therail-flange, so that. there is no i appreciable cutting into orweakening of the i5 rail, while 1n the aggregate the grip of all ofthese teeth in the top of the rail-flange is such as to absolutelyprevent any movement. of the jaw with relation to the vrail, orviceversa.

While7 as stated, the nut may be tight- 2o ened so as to force the jawsinto gripping engagement with the rail-flanges, in common practico thedesired bite of the jaws upon the rail-flanges will be more readilyattained by sufficiently heavy blows with a sledge-haninier used to'drive the jaws upon the railing one side of the rail and one side ofthc l 3 5 cross-tim a bolt extending across the under side of the railand adjustably supported at one end of said engaging means and formedwith a hook at its opposite end, separatelyforined rail-engaging meansinterposed be- .io tween the said hook and rail, and means fortightening the holds of said bolt on the :i foresaid rail-engagingmeans.

2. A ail-stay comprising two jaws engaging opposite sides of the rail;and a flange 4 5 bearing on onel side of the cross-tie, a bolt extendingacross the under side of the rail and A groove and reinforcing-ribs atopposite having oncl ciid passing through one of said l i l l l l l jawsand formed at the opposite end with a hook embracing the other of saidjaws, and

i ingtliroiigh thi` aperture-il jaw and l'orincd at 5o means applied Vtothe holt for forcing both jaws into gripping position on thc railA 3. lncombination with' a jaw engaging one of the rail-flanges andforined'with a transverse aperture and with a tic-abutting llange, a jawengaging the opposite railllangc, a bolt extending across the under sidcof thel rail and having one end screw-threaded and passing through thesaid aperture and fornicd at its opposite end with a hook eino bracingthe other ol said jaws, and a mit applied to thc protruding threaded endof the bolt and pressing on the back of the jawt 4. ln combination witha jaw engaging onc of the rail-flanges iind a bolt cx"icndinir acrossthc undci' side of the rail and having one end engaging the said jaw, ofa jaw ing the opposite railflange and provided with an aperturereceiving through it the end of the bolt and with an inwardly-extendiiigreinforce bearing on the bolt, a tie-abutting flange extending from thesaid. bearing to the jaw, and means applied to the bolt for forcing thejaws into gripping position on the rail. v

5. ln combination with a jaw engaging one of the rail-flanges andprovided with an aperture and with 'a tie-abutting flange, a jawengaging the opposite rait-flange and formed with a groove in' itsexterior, a bolt formed at one end wit-li a hook disposed in saidgrooveA and having its opposite end passing through the aforesaidaperture, and means applied to the protruding end of the bolt forforcing the jaws into gripping posi tion on the iail.

6. lnicoinbination with a jaw engaging one of the rail-flanges andformed willi ai through the aforesaid aperture and termina ting in ahook disposed iii'thc said groove, and means applied to the opposite endof the bolt for forcing the jaws to the rail.

7. ln ,fomhinatioii with a jaw engaging the cross-tic aiirl one of therail-llangcs and provided witliai transverse aperture, a jaw forint-ilwilli a groove receiving the opposite rail-llangc, a hard-metal grip insaid groove, and engaging llie rail` a holt passing through theaforesaid aperture, and l'ormcd at one end with a hook engaging theexterior of said grooved jaw, and means applied to the oppositc end ol'`said bolt for forcing the two jaws to the rail.

S. ln combination with a jaw engaging the cross-tic and one of thcrail-llanges and provided with a transverse aperture, a jaw fornicd withan internal groove receiving thc opposite rail-llange and with anexternal sides of said groove, a hard-'metal ail-gripping )late seatedin the internal groove, a. bolt passsaid jaws may he licld in grippingengagenient with said rail, a portion ol' the siriicture being providedwith .ii dipciii'ling llange adapted to engage a vertical lace ol a lieto extend underneath a rail and provided at gripping engagementuvith 51.rai, and -means 1o one end with a hook, a rail-gri ping jaw dependingfrom said shucture and adapted adapted to be seated within said 100k,said to engage a vertical face of a tie.

jaw being provided with teeth adapted to HIRAM H. SPONENBURG. [Le] biteinto the upper fue@ of a mil-HanI e, a sec.- Witnesses:

ond jaw engagin the op osite en of said L. E. VVILBUR,

10. A mii-stay comprising a bolt adapted adjusteble inea-ns for holdingsaid jaws in bolt, which end o said bo t is provided with y GILES S.FARMER,

